Council decides against area-wide rockfall mitigation

Councillors today decided area-wide
rockfall mitigation for Port Hills homes red-zoned by the
Crown was not practical for several reasons, including
uncertainty around effectiveness and costs.

Since 2012,
Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Earthquake
Authority (CERA) have investigated engineering solutions
that would reduce the risk to clusters of Port Hills homes
in the path of falling rock. Today, after considering
additional reports commissioned in May, Councillors decided
not to adopt or further investigate area-wide rockfall
mitigation.

Chief Planning Officer Mike Theelen said the
Council's investigations had been extensive, thorough and
independently peer-reviewed.

"We've carefully considered
all the various options, and received sound technical advice
and costings for each. Community-based rockfall protection
structures are not feasible options, given the cost to build
and maintain them, and limits to using red-zoned land now
owned by the Crown.

"The Council has a responsibility
under the Resource Management Act to reduce exposure to
natural hazards, so we have to carefully consider the
consequences of a rockfall protection structure failing. As
the structures don't remove the hazard posed by rockfall,
some risk remains.

"We appreciate this news is unwelcome
to some Port Hills residents. We're currently working with
several people as they investigate individual rockfall
protection structures to reduce the risk for their home, and
we're committed to supporting others if they want to look
into this option."

Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel said,
"I do feel for the people badly affected by rockfall, their
dreams have been shattered. Today Councillors expressed
their great reluctance before voting against area-wide
rockfall mitigation. However, we have to make the hard calls
to send a message that we don't accept development in areas
where the level of risk is high. The option still exists for
the people who remain to pursue individual rockfall
protection for their homes."

The Council has worked with
CERA to fund red-zoned buyout offers for properties where
rockfall presented an unacceptable risk to
life.

Background

In December 2013, the Council requested
staff urgently identify areas for community-based mitigation
of rock roll risk for red zone properties, where it would be
cost-effective to do so as compared with the cost of
property purchase.

Council staff produced a report
detailing these investigations, reporting back to Council in
January 2014 and 8 May 2014, and the Council asked for more
information on the investigations and costings, including
liability if rockfall protection fails in the
future.

Following the Council meeting on 8 May 2014, the
Council commissioned an independent peer review of its
report, conducted by an engineering geologist experienced in
the design of rockfall protection structures on the Port
Hills. The peer review agreed with Council's methodology,
but said the costings were too conservative and that the
structures were likely to cost more than estimated.The
issue was discussed again at Council meetings on 12 June and
26 June 2014, before the decision was made today.

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